I must admit I grew up in a different age than most people in this great nation.  Without elaboration on my own upbringing, I often think of how some of the now outdated values and ideas we once had would be useful today.  It was a time when . . .

It was a time when men opened doors for women, and those polite males stood up with a woman entered and left a room.  Now it seems that many women are insulted when that happens!

It was a time when kids could play with each other, make up games and just have unsupervised fun.  Today’s  kids are in every organized sport there is, and many are just miserable having to please their parents.

It was a time when the word pot meant something cooked in or the commode under the bed.  And gay meant someone was happy and content.  Now those words connote drugs and a lifestyle.

In my younger days, on Sundays churches were open and stores were closed.  Across the rural landscape today, many small congregations have disbanded, and even small towns see businesses open on the Lord’s Day.  Of larger corporations, only Hobby Lobby and Bible oriented stores close on Sundays.

Back then, kids would walk to school, even in many of our larger cities.  They would not fear a predator lurking about (even though some may have been out there).

We were taught that the police were our friends, and we believed that to be true.  Now the police are assailed from every front, being made into some kind of bogeyman for any and all.

There was a time, back in the ’50s, you could go to a ball game at the local high school and buy a coke and popcorn for a quarter.  Now you pay a dollar for an undersized bag of popcorn and the same for a watered down cup of pop.

Back in the day, gasoline for the rare times we could get the car for a date, cost under twenty cents per gallon.  If a town had what was called a “gas war”, sometimes it got as low at 15 or 16 cents a gallon.  Today, in my home town, we are happy to get the stuff for under two dollars.

National threats?  We practiced for a nuclear attack (which we now realize would not protect us at all).  Nowadays we have politicians claim the most mortal threat we face is global warming!

The movies?  How many of us can remember the “golden age” of Hollywood?  In those days (my youth) you could go to a first run movie and not have your ears assaulted by F-bombs, and would never see naked people in bed with each other.  Try to find one today that features neither.

Example of some of these classics abound.  Casablanca, High Noon, To Catch a Thief, Ben Hur, Twelve Angry Men, 101 Dalmatians, The Longest Day, The Ten Commandments  ­–  the list is long, but the point is made.

Remember the time when Mom cooked all the meals for a family?  Not only that, but she made lunches for us to take to school.  One school in our area is providing free breakfasts and lunches for all students, compliments of our friendly federal government.

It was time when we were taught to respect our elders, whether relatives or not.  If we violated this rule, we were gently (well, not so gently in my memory),  were disciplined quickly and effectively.  Today, parents are “the old man” and “the old lady” among the more printable epithets for them.  Respect for elders  —  not seen much today.

It was also a time when our sports stars were looked up to for their ability, ability not artificially enhanced by steroids and other PEDs.  Since baseball was my passion, I remember well the likes of Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, Ted Williams, Jackie Robinson, Sandy Koufax, Bob Petit, Bob Cousy (oops  —  those last two were basketball stars of the ’50s), among many others who never dipped into drugs to become stars.

This essay does not mean that the modern world has little to offer.  Do not try to take my laptop away or restrict my access to the Internet.   And you will have to pry my cell phone from my cold, dead hand to get it away from me!   My present car is so much better than that ’51 Ford I started with as a senior in high school.  Creature comforts are very much appreciated.  And the convenience of having commercial enterprises open seven days a week are appreciated and used.

But the values we were brought up with could go a long way to restoring civility to our everyday life and to the body politic.  I guess this is a nostalgic call to living in a world simpler, but more polite, more aware of others’ needs.  And we could make a good start by remembering the words of a song, which states, “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me”.  Bring back the good old days of respect and honor.